Meditation and Pain

Pain is a message from the body that should not be ignored. Pain in meditation is frequent and happens for various reasons. Meditation pain is an indication of something being corrected or a warning that something is wrong. Meditation may lead to the opening of chakras, uncovering of suppressed memories, decalcifying of the pineal gland and the awakening of numb and neglected parts of the body. The process of achieving these things can be acutely painful even though accomplishing them makes life richer.

Positions

A common cause of meditation pain is the difficulty of the position in which one meditates. Beginners who start with complicated poses like full lotus may later develop physical and mental problems. Only those who are experienced in disciplines such as yoga and/or martial arts should begin with these difficult positions. Position pain is easily remedied by choosing a less challenging pose like lying down or sitting on a chair. Although complex positions channel greater energy they may be harmful if incorrectly done. Starting with the simple positions and slowly advancing to more complex ones is recommended.

Poor Posture

Habitual slouching impedes the maintenance of the erect posture required for meditation. Even simple positions like sitting on a chair may be painful for people with poor posture.

Those with bad posture should meditate lying flat on the back or sitting on a chair. They should work at improving posture and mastering sitting erect on a chair before attempting a cross legged position.

The solution is being mindful of posture in daily life. While sitting, standing, using the computer or phone be aware of your posture and adjust yourself whenever you are slouching. People tend to hold their heads down and hunch over when using phones and computers. Daily use of these devices without awareness of posture creates a disfigured neck and back over time.

Learn to check your posture without a mirror by being mindful of your body. Make the necessary adjustments when you feel yourself slouching.

Commitment to meditation will generate the mindfulness of body necessary for maintaining an awareness of your posture throughout the day.

Meditation may awaken tan tiens, chakras and kundalini. For some these awakenings are super positive experiences for others it’s quite painful. This sort of pain is a precursor to higher consciousness.

In most cases decalcifying the pineal gland requires a general lifestyle change. However, intense and sustained meditation can also get the job done.

If the source of calcification is not removed from the individual’s life, a painful cycle of calcification and decalcification is created. The cycle stops when things that cause calcification are permanently removed from his life. Calcification may be caused by sea food high in mercury, fuoridated and chlorinated water and even some vaccines. In the nineties British scientist Jennifer Luke discovered that large amounts of fluoride collects on the pineal gland after entering the body. Since this discovery other scientists have come up with the same findings.

Unconscious To Conscious

Meditation brings things from the unconscious mind to consciousness. Things hidden in the unconscious mind affect behavior from behind the scenes. Phobias, repressed memories, suppressed desires and feelings are brought to light. When traumatic repressed memories are brought to consciousness the meditator is forced to confront them. The discovery of hidden truths about the self may be enlightening and painful at the same time. After the pain has passed the next step is acceptance and realization of how things hidden in the back of the mind affect behavior. The result is peace and greater self awareness.

Awakening and Healing

Meditation relaxes the body in stages over time. Relaxation starts with the skin, followed by the surface muscles, then it goes deeper permeating the bones and organs. This process may be painful. Total relaxation occurs after all layers of the body have been penetrated.

A common reaction to pain is to make the body tighten around it until it becomes numb. In the state of numbness the pain is still present but it is no longer felt. Numbness is dangerous because it allows the pain to reside within the body without being detected.

When people start to meditate it sometimes awakens the numb areas of the body. When the numbness disappears the pain is felt again. This is sometimes mistaken for new pain but it is actually pain that has been there for months or years. Sometimes the pains go back to childhood and have been affecting the individual her entire life in ways she doesn’t realize.